Land Clearing Services in Charlotte, NC

Types of Land Clearing Services

Land clearing is not one-size-fits-all. The scope of work depends on what you are building, what is on the lot now, and how much vegetation needs to go. Here are the main types of clearing work done in the Charlotte area:

Full Lot Clearing

Everything comes down. All trees, stumps, brush, and ground vegetation are removed, and the lot is left as bare dirt ready for construction. This is what most home builders and commercial developers need. The crew uses a combination of chainsaws, skid steers, excavators, and forestry mulchers to clear the site, then grinds all stumps below grade. Full clearing also includes removing any debris piles, old fencing, or structures on the lot.

Selective Clearing

You keep some trees and remove others. This is common for homeowners who want to build an addition, install a pool, or create usable yard space while preserving shade trees and privacy screening. Selective clearing requires more planning because the crew has to work around the trees you want to keep without damaging their roots or bark. An arborist consultation before selective clearing can help you decide which trees are worth keeping and which ones should go.

Underbrush and Brush Clearing

The trees stay, but everything underneath is removed: vines, saplings, shrubs, brambles, and dead wood. This is popular with homeowners who have wooded lots that have been neglected for years. Brush clearing opens up the space, improves sightlines, and reduces fire risk and pest habitat. Most brush clearing is done with forestry mulchers that grind vegetation in place, leaving a layer of mulch on the ground.

Right-of-Way Clearing

Clearing along property lines, fence lines, driveways, or utility easements. This work usually involves removing smaller trees, brush, and overhanging branches to create or maintain access. Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas have specific requirements for vegetation clearance around their infrastructure.

Land Clearing Pricing in Charlotte

Lot Size / Type	Typical Price Range
Small lot (1/4 acre)	$1,500–$3,500
Half acre	$3,000–$6,000
Full acre	$5,000–$10,000
Heavily wooded (per acre)	$8,000–$15,000+

These prices assume standard conditions: relatively flat terrain, no major rock, and reasonable equipment access. Several factors push the cost higher:

• Slope: Hilly or sloped lots in areas like the Lake Norman shoreline or parts of South Charlotte take longer and require more careful equipment operation.
• Tree size and density: A lot full of mature oaks and hickories costs more to clear than one with young pines and scrub.
• Stump removal: If stumps need to be fully excavated (not just ground), add 30–50% to the cost.
• Debris hauling: If wood and brush are hauled off site instead of mulched in place, trucking adds to the bill.
• Grading: Rough grading after clearing is usually a separate line item, running $1,000–$3,000+ for residential lots.

What to Expect: The Land Clearing Process

Step 1: Site Walk and Estimate

The clearing company walks the property with you, discusses what you want done, identifies any trees to keep, and looks for potential issues like buried utilities, drainage problems, or property line questions. They should give you a written estimate that breaks down the work: tree removal, stump grinding, brush clearing, hauling, and grading (if needed).

Step 2: Permits and Utility Locates

Before any equipment touches the ground, the company should call NC 811 to mark underground utilities (gas, water, electric, cable). In Mecklenburg County, you may also need a land disturbance permit if you are clearing more than a certain square footage. Your clearing company should know the local requirements and handle the paperwork, or at least tell you what you need.

Step 3: Tree Removal

Large trees come down first. Depending on the site, crews use chainsaws for felling and an excavator or skid steer with grapple attachments to drag logs and stack them. On larger commercial sites, a track loader and chipper handle the volume. Trees are usually felled in a planned sequence so each one falls into the cleared area rather than onto standing timber.

Step 4: Brush and Undergrowth Removal

After the big trees are down, a forestry mulcher makes passes over the lot to grind brush, saplings, and small stumps in place. The mulcher turns everything into wood chips that stay on the ground. This is faster and cheaper than cutting brush by hand and hauling it. On residential lots where the homeowner wants a cleaner look, the debris may be collected and hauled off instead.

Step 5: Stump Grinding

All remaining stumps are ground down 6 to 12 inches below grade. For stump grinding on cleared lots, a larger track-mounted grinder is usually used because it can handle dozens of stumps quickly. The grindings are either spread across the lot or hauled away depending on your plans for the site.

Step 6: Grading (Optional)

If you are preparing the site for construction, the lot usually needs to be rough-graded after clearing. A bulldozer or grading tractor smooths out the surface, fills in holes where stumps were ground, and shapes the drainage. Fine grading for a building pad or driveway is a separate step that typically comes later in the construction process.

Charlotte's Building Boom and Land Clearing Demand

Charlotte has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the Southeast for over a decade, and that growth drives constant demand for land clearing. Here is what is happening across the metro area:

South Charlotte and Ballantyne

The corridor along Providence Road, Ardrey Kell Road, and Rea Road has seen nonstop development. Infill lots in Ballantyne are being cleared for custom homes, while larger tracts further south toward Waxhaw and Weddington are being developed for new subdivisions. Many of these lots are heavily wooded with mature pines and hardwoods.

Lake Norman and North Mecklenburg

The towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, and Davidson continue to grow rapidly. Waterfront lots on Lake Norman are among the most expensive to clear because of steep terrain, large hardwoods, and the need to protect the shoreline from erosion. Mecklenburg County has strict sediment and erosion control requirements for lakefront clearing.

Union County and Indian Trail

The Indian Trail and Marvin areas in Union County have exploded with new residential construction. Union County has its own tree ordinances and permitting requirements that differ from Mecklenburg County, so make sure your clearing company knows the rules for the specific jurisdiction where your lot is located.

Fort Mill and Tega Cay

Across the state line in South Carolina, Fort Mill and Tega Cay have their own permitting and environmental requirements. South Carolina regulations differ from North Carolina, particularly around wetland buffers and water quality permits. Your clearing company needs to be familiar with York County rules if your lot is on the SC side.

Mecklenburg County Tree Ordinances and Permits

Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have a tree ordinance that affects land clearing. Here is what you need to know:

• Tree save requirements: For commercial and multi-family projects, the city requires a percentage of existing trees to be preserved or replaced. Single-family residential lots have fewer restrictions but are not exempt from all rules.
• Land disturbance permits: If you are disturbing more than 10,000 square feet of land, you need a land disturbance permit from Mecklenburg County. The permit includes sediment and erosion control requirements.
• Heritage trees: Certain large-diameter trees may have additional protections. An arborist can identify any heritage-class trees on your property.
• Buffer zones: Stream buffers, wetland setbacks, and floodplain restrictions limit what can be cleared in certain areas. Your clearing company or civil engineer should identify these before work starts.

Ignoring permit requirements can result in stop-work orders, fines, and required replanting that costs far more than doing it right the first time.

What Happens to the Debris?

When you clear a lot, you end up with a lot of wood and brush. Here is where it goes:

• Forestry mulching: The most common method for residential clearing. A mulcher grinds trees and brush into chips right where they stand. The chips decompose over time and can help with erosion control. This is the cheapest disposal method because nothing leaves the site.
• Chipping and hauling: Brush and small trees are fed through a chipper, and the chips are trucked to a composting facility or sold as mulch. Larger logs may be sold to a sawmill if they are straight and large enough.
• Burning: Open burning of land clearing debris requires a permit from Mecklenburg County Air Quality. There are strict rules about when and where you can burn, and it is banned entirely during high fire risk periods and within certain distances of occupied buildings. Most companies do not burn because mulching or hauling is faster and less hassle.
• Log sales: If your lot has valuable hardwood timber (walnut, cherry, large oaks), the clearing company may reduce your cost by selling the logs. Do not expect this to cover much of the bill unless you have significant timber, but it is worth asking about.

When You Need Land Clearing

• New home construction: You have a wooded lot and need a building pad, driveway, septic field, or all of the above.
• Pool or outbuilding installation: You need to clear a section of your yard for a pool, detached garage, or workshop.
• Driveway extension or widening: Trees and brush along your existing driveway need to come out for access or visibility.
• Fire mitigation: Overgrown lots with dense brush create fire risk. Clearing a defensible space around your home is smart in wooded neighborhoods.
• Lot cleanup: You bought a property with years of overgrowth and want to reclaim the usable space.
• Commercial development: Retail pads, office sites, and mixed-use projects all start with clearing.

Tips for Charlotte Homeowners

Before You Start

• Get a survey done or at least confirm your property lines. You do not want to accidentally clear your neighbor's trees.
• Walk the lot with the clearing company and physically mark any trees you want to keep. Paint marks or flagging tape work well.
• Ask about permits. A good company will tell you what is required for your jurisdiction. Do not assume they will handle it unless they explicitly say so in writing.
• Get at least three written estimates. Land clearing bids can vary by 50% or more because companies have different equipment and approaches.

Saving Money on Land Clearing

• Choose forestry mulching over hauling when possible. Leaving the chips on site saves thousands in trucking costs.
• Bundle services. If you need tree removal, stump grinding, and clearing, using one company for everything is cheaper than hiring three separate contractors.
• Time it right. Winter (December through February) is the slowest season for tree and clearing companies in Charlotte. You may get better pricing because crews need the work.
• Sell the timber. If you have valuable hardwoods, mention it during the estimate process. Even if the logs do not cover much of the bill, every bit helps.

Common Mistakes

• Clearing without checking property lines, then getting a call from an angry neighbor.
• Forgetting to call 811 before digging, and hitting a gas line or fiber optic cable.
• Clearing too many trees and losing all shade and privacy. Think about what the lot will look like after construction is done, not just during the building phase.
• Hiring the cheapest bid without checking insurance. If an uninsured operator damages a neighbor's property or injures a worker on your land, you could be liable.